Connecting rod



- Aug. 3i, M26.,

,598,398 E. H. SHAW CQNNEGTING ROD Fld Sept. 10. 1925 fnynr; Enma@ /z517 @MMM/mf f Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST H. SI-IAFF, 0F GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM I-I.KELLER, INC., OF GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

GONNECIING- ROD.

Application filed September 10, 1923. Serial No. 661,734.

The invention pertains to connecting rods adapted primarily for use inpneumatic tools of the type comprising one or more pairs of cylinders inwhich the cylinders of each pair are arranged at an angle to each otherand are each provided with pistons connected to a common crank shaft.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction forthe means which serves to connect the pistons of each pair of cylindersto the crank shaft.

More specifically stated, the object of the invention is to provide aconstruction for the connecting rods such that they may be manufacturedat a very low cost, that they shall be of light weight, and that theyshall at the same time be of a durable character, there being notransverse joints between the crank shaft and the wrist bearings in thepistons.

I attain the object of the invention thus generally stated by formingthe connecting rods from two substantially similar members in the natureof complementary sections stamped or pressed out of suitable metalstock, such as sheet steel, so as to provide at the opposite ends of themembers semispherical and semi-cylindrical portions. The two members ofeach of the rods are then secured together, to form in effect aone-piece rod having a spherical or ball bearing at one end adapted forconnection with the piston, and a cylindrical or sleeve-like bearing atthe other end adapted for connection with a journal of the crank shaft.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred form of myinvention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a pair of pistons and acrank shaft, showing the connecting rods partially in section.

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively perspective views of the twocomplementary sections of the connecting rod for one of the pistons.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the two sections of the rod for theother piston, in partially assembled relation.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of a preferredform of wrist bearing or socket member before assembling.

FigfG is a similar view of the retainii'lg member for the socket member.

I have shown in Fig. 1 a pair of pistons 7 and 7 arranged as though theywere contained in cylinders disposed substantiall 1 at right angles toeach other, and connected to a common journal of a crank shaft 8 bymeans of ,connecting rods 9 and 9 constructed in accordance with myinvention.

The rods 9 and 9 are essentially similar in construction except that therod 9 has its cylindrical or sleeve bearing, at the lower end thereof7constructed t0 receive lwithin it the corresponding bearing of the rod9. Thus each of the rods comprises a pair ofcomplementary sections 10and 10', and 11 and 11'; and each of said members is constructed toprovide at its upper end a semispherical bearing or ball portion 12 and12, and 13 and 18, and at their lower ends semicylindrical bearingportions 14 and la and l5 and 15.l

To receive the semi-spherical portions at the upper ends of each of therods and clamp them together in such a way as to provide a spherical orball bearing, I employ in each instance a socket member 16. Thismembermay be formed from allat piece of sheet metal, first, into the shape ofa cup (Fig. 5) having a rounded bottom and an open end. In assemblingthe parts the open end is forced around the spherical bearing member asshown clearly in Fig. 17 whereby to hold the two sections thereoftogether.

The socket member 16 is enclosed within a retaining member 17, open atits lower end as at 18 to receive the shank of the rod and allowsuiicient play therefor to permit of the unrestricted reciprocation ofthe piston. At its upper end said member 17 is flanged outwardly as at19 and secured as by means of rivets 20 entered through the flange 19and the closed end wall 21 of the piston. Said wall 21 may, if desired,be shaped as as 22 to provide a spherical depression for the upper endof the socket member 16.

The cylindrical or sleeve bearing for the rod 9, as aforesaid, isconstructed to receive within it the corresponding bearing of the rod 9.Thus each of the portions 14; and 14 of the two members of the rod 9 arecut away centrally .thereof t0 form a slot 2 open at its lower end, andfurther, said portions la and 14 have depending flanges or lugs 24 foruse in fastening the parts together in a manner to be presentlydescribed.

ot each of the rods `the respective meinhersr thereof are apertured asat 25-25, xand 2l3-Q6, whereby to receive a fastening,` bolt 27. Saidbolt is arranged to loe threaded into one of the members and preferablyi form that one7 1n each case, withV a boss 2? er 28', in orderhetter toprovide for the threaded engagement between the bolt and the member. Inthe case oli' therod 9; the bess 2S is shown as projecti o aperture 25,which is enlarged to receive it; and incase vet the rod 9T the boss Q8is shown as projecting; outwardly. c,

To insure'that the parts shall be maintained in operative association I'provide in addition tothe bolts 27 a clip or clasp '29 ig. This clipcomprises a semi-cylin* drical portion'l@ having' a hooked'end 31adapted to receive the lugs 24 projecting 'from the members 10 and 10Vot' the. rod l), and extending' upwardly 'from tl c cylindrical portion30 the clip has .an apertured llap portion 32 whereby it may be 'securedto the rod 9 by the bolt Q7.- y y i' Referring now to Figs. '1' and '3?it will be observed that inthe case ot each o't the :rods

9 and 9Y the members from .vhich these 'rolls p are formed `are twistedintermediate their endsg as at and 3'3,througli a quarter turn, so thatthe inner taces ot the ball por tions 1:2 and 12', and 13 and 13. aredisposed substantially' at right angles to theA inner 'faces ot thesemi-cylindrical portions 14.--14/ and 15--15.A The reason ilor thisconstruction is thatit facilitates the assembling ot the parts. Thus itwil'lbe observed from Fig. l that it allows the portions ot thecylindrical bearing to be separated torec-eive the crank shalt after theportions olE the ball bearing` have been received into and secured inposition within the socket member 1G and retainer member 17.A Thispermits of the assembling o'l" the connectingrods with the pistonsbeit'ore connecting the .rods to the cranl shalt.

The retainer member 17, as shown in Fig. G7 is preferably provided witha' slot 34 in one side adaptedto receive the shank ot' theconnectingrod, thus permitting' the' ball members ofthe -rods to betirst `assembled into the socketmembers 16, and then inserted` into theretainer member 17 before the lat-ter is secured in position'in thepiston.

It will 'be seen that each oit the rods consists essentiallyv1 ofthe.two elongated niembers only, the line oli joinder running lengthwise ofthe rod. lConsequently there is an absence ot rtransverse joints betweenthe bearing members ol` the respective rods. and

.0' through the an attendant freedom from the possibility or disjoinderor separation ot the opposite ends of the rod.

lioreover, the parts are made entirely ol sheet metal, with theexception of the bolts 27, vbeing stamped or pressed from steel in sheetform. Hence the weight ot the rods is relatively small, while ythe costolf inanuracment illustrated and described. but the precise constructionthus set lorth not considered essential, it being` contemplated thatvarious changes may be made by those skilled in lne art withoutdeparting from the spi it and. scope ol the invention as exi al in theappended claims.

,laila as my invention:

1. It connecting' rod comprising two substantially similar 'sectionseach having' a relatively Itlat shank or intermediate portion andbearing portions at its opposile ends adapted to coact .vhen thesections are se cured together to form complete bearing' members, andmeans for securing said scctij ns together comprisingY a` clip7 and lugsprojecting outwardly from the bearing' por tions at one end of the rod,said clip havincY a hooked end and adapted to receive the lugs on therespective sections whereby to clamp `them together.

2. A piston connecting rod conunising two compleinentary sections'formed Afrom sheet metal and shaped to provide coactingY bearingprportions at one end, and means providing connection between the rod anda piston and also serving' to secure said sections together.

'3. The combination with a pair of pistons and a crankshaft, ot ay pairof rods for connecting said pistons to said shaft, each ot' said rodsconiprisingl a pairof substantially similar elongated members formedfrom sheet metal and providing a, spherical bearing;` at one end olt therod and a sleeve-like cylindrical caring; at the opposite end ot therod, the cylindrical bearing*T of one olf said rods being adapted toreceive within it the cylindrical bearing` ol the other rod, and meansfor securingthe two members of each of said rods together and inoperative association comprising` a clasp adapted to engage with theends of the members providing` the outer cylindrical bearing` whereby toclamp them together, and a bolt for tasteninn' said clasp to the lastmentioned rod.

El. The .combination with a piston and a lli lill) fili crank shaft, ofa connecting rod constructed from two elongated substantially similarmembers each hiving its opposite ends shaped to providebearing membersfor connection with the'piston and the shaft respectively, the bearingmember for the piston being spherical in form, and means secured to thepiston providing a socket for said spherical bearing member adapted tohold the sections thereof together.

5. The combination with a piston and a crank shaft, of a connecting rodconstructed from two substantially similar elongated members eachconstructed of sheet metal and shaped to provide at one end asemi-spherical bearing portion and at its opposite end asemi-cylindrical bearing portion, means within the piston adapted toreceive and hold the semi-spherical bearing portions together, and meansfor clamping the semicylindrical portions around the crank shaft, thejoints between the bearing portions at opposite ends of the rod beingdisposed in planes substantially at right angles to each other, and thesecuring means within the piston being adapted to permit the ends of themembers opposite the piston end to be separated sui'liciently to receivethe crank shaft.

6. The combination with a piston and a crank shaft of a connectingrod-constructed from two substantially similar ,elongated members eachhaving a semi-spherical portion at one end and a semi-cylindricalportion at its opposite end, a socket member adapted to receive and holdthe semi-spherical portions together whereby to form a spherical bearingmember, said socket member being open on one side to receive the shankof the rod, and the retaining member for the socket member also havingan opening therein adapted loosely to receive the shank of the rod.

7. The combination with a piston and a crank shaft, of a connecting rodconstructed from two substantially similar elongated members each havinga semi-spherical portion at one end and the semi-cylindrical portion atits opposite end, a socket member adapted to receive and hold thesemi-spherical portions together whereby to form a spherical bearingmember, said socket member being open on one side to receive the shankof the rod, and the retaining member for the socket member also havingan opening therein adapted loosely to receive the shank of the rod, saidretaining member having a slot in one wall adapted to pass said shank topermit the parts to be assembled.

S. The combination with a piston and a crank shaft, of a connecting rodconstructed from a pair of elongated members stamped from metal in sheetform and shaped at their opposite ends to form when the parts 1b aresecured together a spherical bearing and a cylindrical sleeve-likebearingrespectively, a socket member within the piston adapted toreceive the spherical member, and means for securing the portions of thecylindrical bearing together, the joint between the two sections at theend adjacent the cylindrical bearing being disposed in a. plane parallelwith the axis of the crank shaft and the oint between the two sectionsat the opposite end of the rod being disposed in a plane lyingsubstantially at right angles to the i'irst mentioned plane so that saidseini-cylindrical bearing portions may be moved outwardly in a planeperpendicular to said crank shaft axis after said spherical bearing hasbeen positioned in said socket member.

9. The combination with a piston and a crank shaft of a connecting rodcomprising two complementary sections having at opposite endssemi-spherical and semi-cylindrical bearing portions which coact whensaid sections are joined together to provide a spherical bearing and acylindrical bearing for connection to said piston and crank shaftrespectively, the joints between the bearing portions at 'opposite endsof said rod being disposed in planes approximately at right angles toeach other so as to permit said semi-cylindrical portions to be seprated sufficiently to receive said crank shaft after said sphericalbearing has been secured in position within said piston.

l0. The combination with a piston and a crank shaft of a connecting rodcomprising two complementary sections having relatively flat shankportions and semi-spherical bearing portions which coact to provide aspherical bearing at one end of the rod, and a socket member within thepiston adapted to receive said bearing, the joint between said bearingportions being disposed with respect to said shank portions so as topermit the last mentioned portions to be spread apart after saidsemi-spherical bearing portions have been assembled in operativeposition within the piston.

11. The combination with a crank shaft, of a connecting rod comprisingtwo complementary sections having relatively fiat shank portions andcoacting bearing portions at one end thereof, and means for securingsaid section together comprising lugs projecting outwardly from saidbearing portions, and a clip secured at one of its ends to said shankportions and having at its other end a hook engaging said lugs wherebyto clamp them together. l

l2. The combination with a piston of a connecting rod comprising twocoinplementary sections having bearing portions at one end thereof whichcoact when said sections are secured together to provide a sphericalbearing, a socket member for said bearing, and a retaining member havinga slot in one W211i adapted to ,pass 'the Shank of said rod undpermitwsaid socket member to be Seated in the retainin` member.l

13. A socket for :i Connecting rod having; e. Spherical bearing)- at oneend thereof, said socket Comprising a cup-shaped.Shell drawn fromrelatively rhin metal steek and adapted to receive seid bearing, theedges of said shell being` udapiie to be bent around said bearing toretain it in the socket.

14C. A retainer for a lconnecting; rod beziring,- comprising a'Clip-shaped member having a longitudinally extending slot in one of itssides, said slot Abeingadap'teci to pass the shank of smid yconnectingrod whereby to :permit seid bearing tt0 be seated Within the cup-'shapedmember.

In testimony whereof, I have :hereunto fixed `my signature.

,ERNEST H. SHAFT.

